America's Heartland
is made possible by.

They make up a small
part of our population.

But have a huge
impact on our lives.

They take business risks that
few others would tolerate

all on our behalf.

They're American farmers who
feed, fuel and clothe the world.

Monsanto would like to
recognize them for all they do,

for the rest of us, because
ultimately our success

and everyone else's depends on
theirs

and by the American Farm Bureau
Federation

- the voice of agriculture.

Coming up:

The intimidating but magnificant
american bison...

in Kansas raising THEM IS
woman's work;

a country and western star tells
why his passion

is the american farmer;

and an eighth-generation farm
family pioneers

the high-tech dairy.

America's Heartland is next.

♪ You can see it in the eyes of
every woman and man ♪

♪ in America's Heartland
living close to the land. ♪

♪ There's a love for the country
and a pride in the brand♪

♪ in America's Heartland living
close, close to the land. ♪

Hello and welcome to
America's Heartland.

I'm Paul Ryan.

Long before the rich farm and
ranch lands of the Great Plains,

this land was home to the
greatest herds ever to rumble

across a prairie.

The American Bison ruled
these lands for eons

then became almost extinct.

But in recent decades, a
determined number people

helped brought this American
icon back from the brink.

We begin this edition of
America's Heartland in Kansas

where Jason Shoultz met a
woman who is answering new

trends in taste and tourism by
taking on the formidable task of

ranching bison.

You might think there's a
grizzled old farmer behind

the wheel of this dusty pickup
truck. out to check on his herd.

You would only be partly right!

"Hello girls, ready to move? "

Calling this Kansas farmer
grizzled

might just get you in trouble.

And the herd Linda Hubalek is
moving today

is no ordinary livestock!

"C'mon girls! "

"These aren't cattle. So you
don't raise them the same.

You don't interact
with them the same. "

Tucked in the hills of Central
Kansas

where the buffalo once roamed is
the Smoky Hill Bison Farm.

While Linda's husband works as
an engineer in a nearby town -

it's her job to run the farm.

"The bison are still wild. They
are very in tune

to their environment. They know
when something is different.

They can react
immediately to something. "

Linda grew up on a nearby
cattle farm, and has written

a series of fictional books
based on her ancestors

who homesteaded there. So it was
no surprise

to her parents when 10
years ago she and her husband

purchased 80 acres of farmland.

But when Linda decided to raise
bison.

"We're surprised at that. But
it's been a nice experience

for them. It's different
alright. "

And as many as 70 million
bison wandered North America

before European
settlers arrived.

Well they would have wondered
right through here to go down to

the smokey hill river for water
so they would have been roaming

this area in the beginning. But
by the turn of the 20th century,

the animal had been
hunted to near extinction.

Efforts by government and
ranchers like the Hubaleks

have brought the bison back from
the brink.

Today there are around
350-thousand

across North America.

The smokey hill herd ranges from
50 to 130 depending

on the time of year. So we are
basically bringing them back

to the prairie.

They are amazingly graceful
creatures considering their

size. The females can weigh more
than 1,000 pounds.

The males...as much as 2,500
pounds.

Unlike cattle, the bison aren't
fed grain.they eat grasses.

Electric fences keep these giant
creatures from

wandering the plains like they
did hundreds of years ago.

The fences also keep the
tourists at a safe distance!

"I CAN'T IMAGINE THE INDIANS
KILLING ONE OF THOSE

WITH A BOW AND ARROW."

Yes, agri-tourism is a big part
of the Smoky Hill operation.

The farm is open year-round
to visitors for tours.

Guests can't take home one
of these bulky beauties,

but they can pick up some
buffalo bric-o-brac

at the visitor center!

The bison here at Smoky Hill
aren't just fun to look at,

they are also
pretty good to eat,

as folks can find out when they
pick up meat products here.

They make buffalo patties,
ribeye steaks, buffalo filets,

even buffalo jerky.

"It tastes like
excellent, sweet beef. "

It's also popular with folks
looking for leaner meat

without growth hormones or
antibiotics.

Smoky Hill uses a local
processor

to prepare meats for sale.

Most of the farm's business
comes from the website

bisonfarm.com.

"We ship meats, hides and skulls
all over the United States. "

But you don't have to go too
far to get a taste of bison

.as I found out at the Cookery
restaurant

in downtown Lindsborg.

Bison-burgers are a hot menu
item.made from ground bison meat

from the nearby farm.

Served up with some onion rings

and your favorite condiments and
you've got yourself a tasty,

and slightly more
expensive burger!

Bison producers know that it's
not likely their meat

will ever replace beef, after
all, there are 95 million cows

raised in the United States.

But after seven years of
operating the bison farm,

Linda Hubalek has big hopes for
the future.more agri-tourists

stopping by, and a growing
market for the bison meat.

"So it's always going
to be a niche market,

that hopefully will be in
demand.

They are not quite like
livestock. We don't treat them

as such. They are actually part
of our family.

They have very
unique personalities,

whether it's Dolly, Esther, or
Frieda."

Linda may give the bison names,
but you can't get too attached

to something you might eat one
day.

And one rule everyone around
this farm knows well:

they may be fenced in, but these

are still wild animals.

Bison can be much more
excitable than cattle.

Try to corral them from behind,
and they might just turn on you

and charge! So instead..

"We train them from the very
beginning to come to us

--by call. "

And you won't find Linda - or
anybody else for that matter -

inside the fenced-in pasture
with the bison. It's too

dangerous...they are too
unpredictable

.and most importantly.

"They are big. You respect them
too. Ha ha.."

And you don't have to
be a grizzled old farmer

to know that!

What really nearly did in
the bison in the late 1800s?

It wasn't the Plains
Indians, buffalo hunters,

or Buffalo Bill Cody.

Railroad passengers
share the blame.

After the transcontinental
railroad was completed in 1869,

many a passenger crossing the
Great Plains grabbed a rifle

and fired out the windows into
herds of grazing bison

for sport.

By 1885, only a few hundred
bison remained alive

in all North America.

We've met a lot of
long-time farming families,

but eight generations?

. that's a lot of years.

We're about to visit a farm that
began producing dairy products

when America was just a baby.
But that stands now

on the very cutting edge of
dairy high-tech.

Pat McConahay takes
us to Pennsylvania.

As agriculture changes,
technology is what drives

Mason Dixon Farms near
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

From state of the art milking
parlors to a system

that doesn't let cow manure go
to waste

this historic farm is a living
laboratory.

WE USE THAT PHRASE BECAUSE WE'RE
IN A

CONSTANT CHANGE OF FLUX: ONE NEW
TECHNOLOGY MAKES IT POSSIBLE

TO NOW INTRODUCE ANOTHER
TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL CONTINUE

TO IMPROVE OUR EFFICIENCY.

Richard Waybright is the 8th
generation family member

to run this farm that literally
straddles the Mason Dixon Line

...part of it is in
Pennsylvania and part of it

is in Maryland.

THE STORY STARTS HERE WITH
GERMAN IMMIGRANT MICHAEL

WAYBRIGHT WHO BUILT
THIS HOME IN 1784.

HE WAS GIVEN 400 ACRES
FROM RICHARD PENN,

THE SON OF WILLIAM PENN
WHO FOUNDED PENNSYLVANIA.

I THINK OUR GERMAN
HERITAGE.WE'RE KIND OF

A STUBBORN GROUP OF PEOPLE AND
WE HAVE A FIERCE DETERMINATION

THAT WE CAN DO THINGS.

And something he and his family
are doing is constantly looking

for new ways to do things
better-both economically

and environmentally.

AGRICULTURE TODAY IS COGNIZANT
OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO BE

NEIGHBORHOOD-FRIENDLY AND THAT
MEANS SMELL-WISE

AND EVERY OTHER WAY.

AND WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN
MANURE MANAGEMENT

WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.

A bio-gas digestion system
processes 52 thousand gallons

of manure and urine a day to
produce methane gas.

That gas drives generators that
produce 320 kilowatts daily

--more than enough electricity
to operate the farm

and sell some back to the
utility company.

So the farm actually receives
a monthly check

rather than a bill!

And the neighbors come
out ahead as well.

WE NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
KEEP THAT BIO GAS

FROM GOING INTO THE ATMOSHERE
AND DIMINISHING

THE AIR QUALITY IN THE UPPER
ATMOSPHERE, ETC.

He says his ventilated barns are
much better

than letting cows lazily graze
in an open field.

WE LEARNED YEARS AGO WE CAN
KEEP THEM MORE PRODUCTIVE

AND HEALTHIER--PUT THEM OUT OF
THE HOT SUN.

BECAUSE IN ANIMAL AGRICULTURE,
IN THE CASE OF DAIRY CATTLE

THE IDEAL TEMPERATURE IS 26
DEGREES. IT'S NOT 72.

And their feed is also handled
in an environmentally-friendly,

efficient way.

Forages are harvested with a
self-propelled mower that can

mow 30 acres of hay per hour
and not damage the soil.

As for the future--Mason Dixon
Farms will continue to live by

the old adage...the only thing
that's constant is change, and

that's the only way
that dairy can thrive .

Now meet another mobile
energy source for the farm.

Call them gas hogs - only
they don't burn the stuff;

they make it.

These hogs produce an
astounding amount of manure,

but new processing systems are
letting farmers convert manure

to methane, and methane
to electricity - and cash.

" When I smell it or
see it, I think money. "

A California farm's hogs
recently began paying their

owner's entire electricity
bills plus delivering tens of

thousands a year in energy sales
to the local power company.

Other hog farmers claim
to be saving as much as

a quarter-million dollars a year
using and selling power

from their porkers.

Ever since Farmers
first put seed to soil, farmers

have wrestled with one
particular problem of how to get

the most and best out of their
land without exausting it,

But these days some farmers are
finding ways not just

to keep their land healthy but
to repair the damage

of the past.

Jason Shoultz traveled to
Iowa to hear one man's story.

The rolling hills of south
central Iowa have been good

to generations of the Faris
Family.

Since 1903, it's provided
fertile ground to grow crops

and raise cattle.

More than 100 years after his
Great Grandfather

first worked this land - Lee
Faris is trying to preserve it.

You only have so much soil,
and if you don't protect it,

why pretty soon you are
not going to have any.

Faris is an environmentalist.

Not the kind that chain
themselves to trees - he's the

kind who makes a
living off the land.

For him, preservation of natural
resources also preserves

his family's future.

Lee has a whole farm commitment
to conservation practices.

It's not just a one year event.

This has been a lifetime of
achievement

for the Faris family.

Take a tour of this 1-thousand
acre property

and some things
are easy to spot.

Like this pond.stocked
with fish,

and surrounded by
natural growth.

A perfect habitat for wildlife.

Other efforts are less
obvious, but no less important.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
YOU DO IS TERRACING.

FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T
KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS,

HOW IS TERRACING
IMPORTANT TO YOUR FARM?

Terracing stops, sets the water
down, and runs water

from the steeper sides of these
hills down underground drainage

through a tile system to the
main creek down there.

Meandering through Faris
Farms is Walnut Creek.

The sloping hills on his
property naturally

drain rainfall into the creek.

That rainwater also
picks up topsoil.

It goes to the creek too!

You can just imagine how much
soil runs down through the

creek, to the rivers and ends
up down in the Gulf of Mexico,

which is not where they want it.

So Faris uses several terraces
to collect water runoff,

and an underground drainage
to send it to the creek.

This way the precious
topsoil is not washed away.

And another farming practice
doesn't just preserve

the top soil. It enriches it.
The soybeans here were planted

where last year there was a corn
crop.

What do we have here?

FARIS: We've got the cornstalks
here that are laying here,

and this residue is also
excellent cover

for it to help with erosion.

It may sound surprising, but
past farming practices haven't

always made soil
conservation a priority.

For several years the state
and federal government has been

encouraging farmers to build
terraces and change the way

soil is prepared for crops every
year.

They get help from
folks like Lee Faris,

farmers willing to share
their efforts with others.

Serving on the state soil
conservation committee,

the state technical committee,
Iowa watershed board,

he's gone beyond
Ringgold County.

He's done things for
the state of Iowa.

The things, decisions he's
helped make and been a part of,

have molded a lot of the
policies

that Iowa is working under.

The National Cattlemen's
Association is also working

to improve conservation and
environmental practices

by ranchers.

Every year the association
hands out a handful of awards

to cattle producers across the
country - recognizing them

for taking the lead in land
stewardship.

In 2005 Lee Faris received
a regional award

for his efforts.such as moving
his 200 cow herd

to different grazing areas
periodically,

and seeding his pasture.

But it's the fact that Lee
rotates these cattle

from pasture to pasture, and
gives the ground,

grass and forage
a chance to rest.

And that's why you see it
as thick as it is here.

Traditional ranching leaves the
cattle in one spot

- they eat all the plant life
and expose the soil to erosion.

Lee Faris says his conservation
practices don't just

benefit the environment. They've
helped his bottom line.

Thicker pastures support a
larger cow herd and even help

increase the weights
of the individual cows.

But there's another, more
personal reason for his efforts.

"Rodney, my son would be the
fifth generation

on some of this land here."

When Lee Faris decides
to hang up his hat,

this farm will likely be
trusted to his son Rodney

and quite possibly Rodney's
children after that.

Lee knows that long
after he is gone,

the farm will still have the
Faris family name

- and the natural resources to
provide a foundation

for future generations.

I feel real good. I think I've
helped the wildlife,

left things for the wildlife,
tried to make everything,

by using terraces and things
like that much easier to farm

than it was before. Yeah, I feel
real good.

From Florida to California.Texas
to Pennsylvania

ranchers are pioneering new ways
to be good stewards of the land.

Creative efforts to manage
water, wildlife, air,

and soil are rewarded each
year by groups

like the Beef Cattlemen's
Association.

Recent winners: the 30-thousand
acre Lightsey Cattle Ranch

in Lake Wales, Florida.

The Lightsey family is restoring
a 580-acre reservoir that was

dammed up in the 1960's.

The family also leaves a large
portion of their land to nature

-- part of an effort to improve
wetlands and restore wildlife.

When Chan Gates of
Kansas faced tough times,

he made some changes to
improve his profit margin.

He found taking out scrub trees
improved the condition

of his land and provided a
habitat for the prairie chicken.

Chan reduced the size of his
herd and came up with a new

grazing plan to minimize
damage to his grassland.

Ever year, regional winners
compete for the grand prize.

They're discovering what's good
for the environment also helps

their bottom line.

He's been a big name in pop and
country-western music

for decades.

In fact, we're pleased to have
his music gracing

our very own program.

But Michael Martin Murphey does
a lot more than write

and sing songs celebrating
farmers and ranchers.

He is a rancher.

He and his family work their
Wisconsin spread

as hard as anybody around.

Our Pat McConahay recently
paid Michael Martin Murphey

a visit.

If you were around in the 1970's
you certainly remember

the haunting hit, "Wildfire."

The man behind the song of a
mysterious phantom horse

on the American prairie is
Michael Martin Murphey,

one of the world's most
respected singer-songwriters

in pop and country-western
music.

The images that led to the
"Wildfire" lyrics came to him

in a dream.

BUT I THINK ON A
SUBCONSCIOUS LEVEL,

DOWN DEEP INSIDE IT'S
A DREAM OF FREEDOM.

IT'S ABOUT WHEN I GREW UP AS
A BOY

I WANTED TO HAVE MY OWN HORSE
AND RIDE OUT ACROSS

THE TEXAS PLAINS AND BE FREE.

MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY
CELEBRATES THE HEARTLAND IN BOTH

HIS MUSIC AND IN THE
WAY HE LIVES HIS LIFE.

I'M A LYRICIST.

TO ME WRITING ABOUT AMERICA IS
ABOUT WRITING ABOUT THE LAND.

But Murphy does more than write
and sing about

the land he loves.

He works it, too, on his
140-acre ranch

in southern Wisconsin.

SO MICHAEL, WHY WISCONSIN?

I'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
AND I'VE SEEN

JUST ABOUT EVERY RURAL AREA IN
EVERY STATE,

AND THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL, MOST PRODUCTIVE LAND.

It's also where his
wife Karen is from .

And the roles women like Karen
play on the family farm

find a place in Michael's music.

Michael, Karen and three
stepdaughters make tending their

ranch chores duties
a real family affair.

From handling hay to saddling up
the horses to

tending the cattle, this is a
working ranch in every sense of

the word, and proof that
Murphey lives what he sings.

MURPHY'S LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS
BEGAN AT AN EARLY AGE.

BORN AND RAISED IN DALLAS, THIS
CITY BOY SPENT HIS SUMMERS

ON HIS UNCLE'S AND HIS
GRANDFATHER'S RANCHES. HE SLEPT

UNDER THE STARS, LISTENING TO
THE STORIES AND HEARING THE

COWBOY STORIES FROM THE
MEN WHO LOVED THE LAND.

BUT I DID GROW UP IN THE CITY. I
WOULDN'T GO BACK.

I WOULDN'T CHANGE
THE WAY I GREW UP.

I GOT A CITY EDUCATION AND A
COUNTRY EDUCATION,

and I wouldn't trade for either
one of them.

And those dual environments for
the cowboy crooner

are what drive Murphey today.

I GUESS THAT'S WHAT'S MADE ME
AN ADVOCATE FOR RHANCHERS

AND FARMERS BECAUSE IN THEM I
SEE SO MUCH WISDOM,

SO MUCH WE NEED TO KNOW..SO
MUCH OUR CULTURE CAN LEARN.

Murphey was part of the
progressive country music scene

that evolved out of
Austin in the early 1970s.

His songs about the great
American West have garnered

many awards over the years and
prompted him to create a number

of festivals and theme shows
like the popular

Cowboy Christmas show he
performs around the country

every year.

Murphey's music isn't influenced
by popular trends,

but rather, by his surroundings
and what's in his heart.

TO ME THAT'S A MELODY THAT I
HEARD TODAY WHEN I WAS

OUT ON THE LAND.

REALLY? SO IT JUST CAME TO YOU?

IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A HYMN
AND A LITTLE BIT OF A BALLAD,

BUT TO ME IT PAINTS THE PICTURE
OF THE KIDS OUT THERE WORKING

AND THE PARENTS BEING PROUD and
bragging and having this real

deep spiritual feeling that
I'm passing this on

to another generation.

Family and friends, like
farming, are near and dear

to Murphey's heart, and at the
end of the day

he likes nothing better than to
hold a little jam session

around the fire.

It's here that we were treated
to the tunes that

made him famous and to a little
snippet of

the America's Heartland theme
song he wrote for this program.

Michael Martin Murphey was
riding horses at age six,

performing with his "Lost
River Trio" in high school,

and had his own
TV show at age 18.

But Murphey says he has a
"Monkee" to thank

for his big break.

Former bandmate and fellow Texan
Mike Nesmith joined the foursome

that became a 60's phenomenon -
and recorded

one of Murphey's songs.

We very much appreciate your
taking the time

to join us today, and we hope
you'll come along with us

next time when we discover more
great farms, families,

and their fascinating stories.
in America's Heartland.

I'm Paul Ryan..

see you next time.

To learn more about this
edition of America's Heartland,

or to give us your feedback,
visit

americasheartland - dot - org.

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